The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy apparently don’t share the Bush administration’s skepticism about global warming. The agencies’ Energy Star program has embarked on a campaign to persuade Americans to replace conventional light bulbs with energy efficient ones “to help reduce the risk of global climate change.”
As of today nearly 125,000 people have promised to replace almost 200,000 lightbulbs. That small act alone will eliminate 82 million pounds of greenhouse gases, the EPA says. Energy efficient lightbulbs are more expensive than standard bulbs but use two-thirds less electricity, produce 70 percent less heat and last about 10 times longer. In other words, you’ll save money in the long run as well as help the planet.
According to the EPA, 800,000 cars’ worth of greenhouse gas emissions could be taken out of the atmosphere if every home in the nation changed at least one light bulb. Now just imagine the environmental payoff if every bulb in every standard-issue McMansion was replaced…..
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